San Augustine was founded by Thomas McFarland in 1832 and was named after Presidio de San Agustin de Ahumada. It is located on the El Camino Real (Old San Antonio Road) that was started in 1691. In 1717 a Spanish mission was established by Father Antonio Margil de Jesus, after he established the mission in Nacogdoches in 1716. The mission in San Augustine was abandoned in 1719, and did not lead to a permanent settlement like the mission in Nacogdoches. Tejas (and Texas) had a complicated history including interactions with the French, Spanish, Mexico, and the USA. The City of San Augustine became the County Seat of San Augustine County and was one of the twenty three original counties (or municipios) for the Republic of Texas in 1834. (Nacogdoches and Shelby counties were also two original ... read more

On May 6 2020 I drove from Nacogdoches, Texas, North on US Hwy 59 past Appleby, and made a brief stop to shoot the front of the Circle A ranch. I passed through Garrison and saw the abandoned downtown (North side), and the Wiley Hotel (South side). I had photographed an 1920s photo of Garrison with the downtown and the Wiley Hotel. I entered Shelby County and passed a nice Catholic Church, and I knew I was close to the potential work site. (All the following pics are from Shelby County.) I was visiting a friend just West of Timpson, Texas (Shelby County) who had a large pine tree damaged by a tornado with three large branches busted and dangling with the wind causing a real hazard. I gave him an estimate on removing the dangerous ... read more

A few months ago most people did not know what a pandemic was, or how deadly it could become. Just common sense told me that the Corona virus could become a global pandemic with many sick and many would perish. A pandemic is an disease epidemic with a rapid spread that develops over a wide geologic area that affects a very high proportion of the population. Pandemics can and have spread world wide. Few facts are understood about Covid-19, but this is my best understanding of the potential plague hazards. I think that Covid-19 can not last long floating free in air. The primary hazard is from infected persons coughing and sneezing virus infected mucus droplets, inhaled or from touching contaminated surfaces then touching their mouth or eyes. I think the Corona can infect somebody from ... read more

Last December, 2019, I had to push the issue to get a free map of the Texas State Railroad at the Palestine RR depot. Then I asked the location of the North Pole (Texas); and they answered that the North Pole location was a carefully guarded secret. I took that as a challenge for me! From Rusk, Texas I drove West on US Hwy 84 to the Neches River leaving Cherokee County into Anderson County. I took the first County Road (West of the Neches River) South a short distance to the Texas State Railroad by Fields Chapel...by mile marker 17. From the Texas State Railroad map I found the North Pole by the two familiar spur tracks at mile 17.5; making my Westbound walk a half mile for each direction. I took a canteen full ... read more

I was at the Sterne-Hoya House & Library talking with their historians; and they showed me a large parchment from 1962 about the Old Stagecoach Inn (aka Halfway Inn, aka Flournoy-Grandberry House). I purchased one of the parchments for about $3 USD. Since the Old Stagecoach Inn was nearby in my neck of the woods (in Nacogdoches County) I wanted to check it out. The next day had good winter weather and I fired up my truck Old Blue and headed out to see the inn. I drove Texas Hwy 21 East (aka El Camino Real, aka The Kings Highway, aka The Old San Antonio Road). I passed through the de-funked town of Melrose (city limits signs there long gone) about seven miles East of Nacogdoches. Then after a few miles I passed the community of ... read more